Refrigeration



July 30, 1935. R HALLOCK 2,009,801

REFRIGERAT ION Original Filed March 8, 1953 5, ATTORNEY Patented July 30, 1935 PATENT QFFICE REFRIGERATION Robert Lay Hallock,

Larchmont, N. Y.

Original application March 8, 1933, Serial No.

660,001. 1934, Serial No. 723,293

Divided and this application May 1,

26 Claims. (01. 62-1085) This application is a division of my copending application, Serial No. 660,001, filed March 8, 1933 and relates back for common subject matter to -my copending application Serial No.

614,091, filed May 28, 1932.

My invention relates to refrigeration and more particularly to evaporators and ice trays for refrigerating apparatus or machines.-

- The object of my invention is to provide for the easy removal of a tray from an evaporator though frozen tightly thereto.

The nature of my invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing showing a preferred form of the invention.

Of the drawing:

Fig. l is a plan view showing a section through an evaporator and the top of an ice tray structure embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a front view partly in section and taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 shows a detail and is a sectional view taken on the line 84 of 3.

The evaporator structure includes side walls it and a shelf M. The walls H) are cooled to ice freezingtemperature as by pipes l! carrying refrigerant to be evaporated. The structure shown is a casting, but various types or kinds'of evaporator structure having ice trays or freezing compartments are adapted to carry out the invention.

The shelf ll supports an ice tray structure including a tray body l2. The tray body is adapted to hold water to be frozen and may contain a d. The tray body is made of thin, flexible metal such as thin sheet aluminum. At the forward end of the tray body is a flange structure l3 having a vertical forward wall It to which is attached a front cover plate l5 which is formed to provide a handle I6, of the type in which the flngers are inserted upwardly, for the removal of the tray. The cover plate overlaps a metal side piece I! which may be porcelained. The cover plate [5 has a. vertical extent from the top of shelf I l to substantially the top of the next higher shelf, so that the sum of the cover plates of the ice trays forms a closure 'for the front of the ice tray compartment of the evaporator.

Formed in the side wall In is a projection or lug .l8 extending inwardly above shelf l l. Immediately above lug I8 is the bent end IQ of a rotatable or turnable member 20. The member 20 is horizontally journalled in the ribs or webs 2| at the side of the tray body and the two ends are bent in opposite directions to form the projection l9 and an auxiliary handle 22 which projects forwardly through a slot 23 arranged vertically in the cover plate I5 and to one side of the handle I6.

The plate I! constitutes an abutment for positioning the tray in the evaporator so that the lever part I9 is directly above the projection l8. Obviously the projection l8 need be only so wide as to be under and contacted by the lever part 19 when this part is lowered. Positioning of the ice tray in the evaporator compartment is therefore important and theabutment of the front cover plate with the evaporator structure acplishes this. The part Ill-will be held above the projection l8 due to preponderance of weight of the longer lever arm 22. The bottom of slot 23 provides a rest for the lever member and determines the non-operating position.

It is well known that ice trays of this sort stick to the supporting shelf. This is particularly true when theice tray and shelf are in contact over a large area. Water freezes between the tray and the shelf. This water may be spilled water or condensation from the air. This forms an ice bond.

To free the tray from the shelf, the forwardly .projecting lever part 22 is raised vertically. This lever part can be turned through approximately 90 and, in turn, will turn the rear projection l9 through the same angle. Thus the part I! will move downwardly and contact the projection l8. Due to the relative lengths of the arms 22 and IS a large force can be applied to projection I8 for a small lifting force under arm 22.

It will be noted that the upward reaction against the tray body is applied adjacent and outside one corner of the tray. By; using a thin metal or otherwise flexible tray, the tray can be gradually and progressively peeled or sheared away from the shelf. A somewhat flexible grid may be employed to facilitate bending ofthe tray but I have found that even with a rigid grid, and the tray containing ice, it can bend sufllciently to permit the progressive separation, if the tray is flexible.

There should be a difference in rigidity between the shelf and the tray, and preferably the shelf is more rigid, as shown. The peeling of the tray from the shelf is particularlyfacilitated if it is done from one corner of the tray. After the tray is released by lifting arm 22, this arm is dropped and returns by gravity to its original position. The tray is now removed from the evaporator by inserting fingers upwardly under the drawer type a handle 16 and pulling the tray horizontally out from the evaporator compartment. Since the arm 22 is heavier than the arm l9 there is no danger of the tray being held up ofi the shelf due to the lever being in release position, or of having the lever catch, on replacing the tray in the evaporator.

The structure described has ample movement so that the releasing mechanism is not rendered inoperative due to the building up of a relatively high ice cake on the shelf ll. Furthermore, the employment of a contacting surface above the shelf makes the operation independent of accumulation on the shelf. By providing a horizontal position of part l9, it has a large lifting component of movement. Also, due to the pivoting and contact above the shelf, a strong leverage can be obtained combined with large movement.

It will be obvious that the part l9 may be on the same side of the tray as the part 22. Also, separate pieces may be used to make up the leverage member. If the long and short arms of. the lever are on the same side, the transverse turning part of the lever may be omitted and a supporting member may be substituted on which the lever is rotatably mounted. It will be obvious that a variety of other modifications may be made within the spirit and scope of the invention.

What I claim is:

1. Ice freezing apparatus comprising evaporator structure including side wall structure and a shelf, an ice tray adapted to rest on said shelf, and leverage mechanism supported by said tray and so constructed and arranged that, when said tray rests on said shelf it is movable to engage said side wall structure above said shelf.

2. Ice freezing apparatus comprising evaporator structure including side wall structure and a shelf, an ice tray adapted to rest on said shelf, a projection on said side wall structure above said shelf, and leverage mechanism supported by said tray and constructed and arranged to engage said projection.

3. An ice tray comprising a tray body, a front cover plate attached to said tray body, a leverage member turnably mounted on said tray body, said plate having a vertical slot therein, and said leverage member including an arm extending through said slot.

4. An ice'tray comprising a tray body, a front cover plate attached to said tray body and bent to form a handle of the kind in which the fingers are inserted upwardly, said plate having a vertical slot therein, and a leverage member turnably mounted on said tray body having a long arm extending through said slot and a short arm extending in opposite direction relative to said long arm from the axis of turning.

5. The combination, with an evaporator structure, of an ice tray adapted to be supported thereby and I constructed of such thin metal and of such form as to be bendable when containing ice frozen therein, and a leverage member turnably mounted on said tray and having an arm constructed and arranged, when the tray is supported on the shelf, to engage the evaporator structure adjacent only one corner of the tray and above the shelf.

6. The combination, with an evaporator structure, of an ice tray adapted to be supported thereby comprising a tray body, a front cover plate attached to said tray body having a vertical slot therein, and a leverage member turnably mounted on said tray body and extending through said slot and constructed and arranged, when the tray slot therein,

is supported on the shelf, to engage said evaporator structure adjacent only one corner of the tray and laterally beyond an upright side wall of the tray.

'7. The combination, with an evaporator structure, of an ice tray adapted to be supported thereby comprising a tray body, a front cover plate attached to said tray body, a handle rigidly associated with said cover plate, said cover plate having a vertical slot therein to one side of said handle, and a leverage member turnably mounted on said tray body and extending through said slot and adapted to engage said evaporator structure adjacent only one corner of the tray.

8. Ice freezing apparatus comprising evaporator structure including side wall structure and a shelf, a projection on said side wall structure above said shelf, an ice tray adapted to rest on said shelf comprising a tray body, a front cover plate attached to said'tray body having a vertical and a leverage member turnably mounted on said tray body and extending through said slot and constructed and arranged to engage said projection.

9. Ice freezing apparatus comprising evaporator structure including side wall structure and a shelf, a projection on said side wall structure above said shelf, an ice tray adapted to rest on said shelf comprising a tray body, a front cover plate attached to said tray body having a vertical slot therein, and a leverage member horizontally journalled transversely of said tray body and extending through said slot and constructed and arranged to engage said projection.

10. An ice tray including a tray body having depending lateral fianges, a cover plate attached to said tray body and a leverage member comprising a bent rod extending through said flanges substantially parallel to said cover plate and bent outwardly of said flanges in opposite directions.

11. Ice freezing apparatus comprising a tray body of generally rectangular shape and constructed of such thin metal and of such form as to be bendable when containing ice frozen therein, and manually liftable means attached to said tray body for gradually peeling the tray body from a support, beginning at one corner of the tray body, and returnable by gravity.

12. Ice freezing apparatus comprising an evaporator structure having a shelf and an engaging surface separate from said shelf, a tray body, means on said tray body engageable with said surface for lifting the tray fromthe evaporator structure, and abutment means on the tray body for positioning the lifting means with respect to the engaging surface.

13. Ice freezing apparatus comprising evaporator structure including side wall structure and a shelf, an ice tray adapted to rest on said shelf, said side wall structure having a horizontal surface above said shelf, and leverage mechanism supported by said tray and movable, when said tray rests on said shelf, to bear down on said horizontal surface.

14. Ice freezing apparatus comprising evaporator structure including side wall structure and a shelf, an ice tray adapted to rest on said shelf, said side wall structure having a horizontal surface above said shelf, and leverage mechanism rotatably supported on said tray on a horizontal axis and manually liftable, when said tray rests on said shelf, to bear down on said horizontal surface.

15. An ice tray comprising a tray body, a front cover plate attached to said tray body and bent to form a handle of the kind in which the fingers are inserted upwardly, said plate having a vertically disposed slot therein to one side of said handle, and a single lever turnably mounted on said tray body having a long arm extending through said slot and a short arm extending in opposite direction relative to said long arm from the axis of turning and laterally outside a side wall of the tray body.

16. Ice freezing apparatus comprising evaporator structure including side wall structure and 'a shelf, an ice tray adapted to rest on said shelf comprising a tray body, a front cover plate attached to said tray body and bent to form a handle of the kind in which the fingers are inserted upwardly, said plate having a vertical slot therein to one side of said handle, and a leverage member turnably mounted on said tray body having along arm extending through said slot and a short arm extending in opposite direction relative to said long arm from the axis of turning, and a projection on said side wall structure above said shelf positioned for contact with said short arm.

17. Ice freezing apparatus including an ice tray body adapted to be supported on a horizontal surface and hold liquid and constructed of such thin metal and of such form as to be bendable when containing ice frozen therein, a front cover plate attached to said tray body, a handle associated with said front cover plate and rigid with respect to the tray body for pulling the tray body horizontally, and a lifting member independent of said handle rotatably mounted on said tray body and extending through said cover plate .to provide a finger piece.

18. Ice freezing apparatus including an ice tray body adapted to be supported on a horizontal surface and hold liquid and constructed of such thin metal and of such form as to be bendable when containing ice frozen therein, a front cover plate attached to said tray body, a handle associated with said front cover plate and rigid with respect to the tray body for pulling the tray body horizontally, and a lifting member independent of said handle rotatably mounted on said tray body and extending through said cover plate to provide a finger piece, said lifting member being rotatable through an angle of substantially ninety degrees.

19. Apparatus for producing ice pieces comprising a tray body of such thin metal and of such form as to be bendable when containing ice frozen therein, a rigid handle rigidly attached to said tray body, a separate finger piece rotatably supported on said tray body, and a part movable by movement of said finger piece to lift said tray body.

- 20. The combination with an evaporator having a rigid shelf, of a metal tray adapted to rest on said shelf and constructed of such thin material and of such form as to be more bendable when containing ice frozen therein than said shelf, and a force multiplying element actuatable to apply force between the tray and the evaporator to progressively peel the tray from the shelf.

21. The combination with a metal tray adapted to be supported by an evaporator and constructed of such thin material and of such form as to be bendable when containing ice frozen therein, of a force multiplying element aetuatable to exert reactive forces between the tray and the evaporator for progressively peeling the tray from the evaporator.

22. The combination with a yieldable ice tray adapted to be supported by an evaporator, of force multiplying means actuatable to exert reactive forces between the tray and the evaporator for progressively peeling the tray from the evaporator.

23. The combination with an ice tray so constructed as to be gradually curved away from a supporting surface, of force multiplying means actuatable to exert reactive'forces between the tray and supporting structure therefor for progressively peeling the tray from its support.

24. The combination with a flexible ice tray, of force multiplying means for twisting the tray to peel it from asupport.

25. The combination, with an evaporator structure, of an ice tray adapted to be supported thereby and constructed of such thin metal and of such form as to be bendable when containing ice frozen therein, and means for prying the tray from the evaporator structure comprising leverage mechanism arranged to exert force against the tray and against a portion of the evaporator structure outside an upright side wall of the tray.

26. The combination, with a metal tray adapted to be supported by an evaporator and constructed of such thin material and of such form as to be bendable when containing ice frozen therein, of a force multiplying element actuatable to apply force between a corner portion of the tray and a part of the evaporator above the bottom of said tray when supported on the evaporator, to pro- .gressively peel the tray from the evaporator.

ROBERT LAY HALLOCK. 

